Terminal crimping,wirecutting and insulation stripping tool



KLS. HAYS TERMINAL CRIMPING; WIRECUTTING AND INSULATION STRIPPING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 5. 1966 INVENTOR. KENNETH fico'rTHaYs Aug. 25, 1970 K. s. HAYS 3,525,107

TERMINAL CRIMPING, WIRE-CUTTING AND INSULATION STRIPPING TOOL Original Filed Aug. 5, 1966 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 62 INVENTOR. KENNETH SCOTT HnYs United States Patent '0 3,525,107 TERMINAL CRIMPING, WIRECUTTING AND INSULATION STRIPPING TOOL Kenneth Scott Hays, West Chester, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Continuation of application Ser. No. 570,465, Aug. 5, 1966. This application May 8, 1968, Ser. No. 727,750 Int. Cl. B25b 7/22; B21d 9/08 US. Cl. 7-5.3 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 570,465, filed Aug. 5, 1966, now abandoned.

The present invention is directed to improvements in tools for applying solderless type terminals to electrical conductors and more particularly, it relates to a terminal work locator to be used with crimping or compressing tools so that a suitable mechanical and electrical connection is always produced. Many solderless type electrical terminals comprise a tongue or lug portion which is connected to or integral with a ferrule or barrel section. An insulating sheath may, or may not, surround the barrel or ferrule section. The present invention pertains to either type terminal. The conductor to be connected to the terminal has a portion of .its sheath or insulation removed, which is slightly greater than the length of the ferrule or barrel. The board conductor is then inserted into the ferrule and the connection between the conductor and terminal is achieved by a crimping or similar operation.

In the crimping or compressing operation of joining a conductor to an electrical terminal, it is mechanically necessary and electrically desirable that the terminal be properly positioned and accurately centrally aligned in relationship to the tool crimping dies.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a locating means for centrally positioning a terminal ferrule or barrel in the tool crimping dies so as to provide an acceptable crimp. It is also an object of this invention to provide means into which the terminal can readily and easily be positioned.

Another object is the provision that the work locator is pivotally attached to the tool and can be moved away from the crimping area so as not to interfere during the crimping operation of butt-type connectors or other similar connectors.

A further object is to provide a work locator which is novel in construction.

A still further object is the provision for applying a similar type work locator to existing tools now in use, which may be made of one-piece, spring steel for ease of manufacture and installation.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a "Ice work locator which can accommodate a wide range of different size terminals.

Further objects will be apparent from an examination of the description which follows and from the illustrations.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a work locator is pivotally attached to the tool at an area adjacent the crimping dies of the tool.

Another embodiment of the invention is the provision for,providing a detachable work locator to tools presently in existence without the need of assembling tools or mechanical fasteners.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the manner of applying them in practical use so that they may modify them in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical crimping tool and the terminal work locator to be used therewith;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the work locator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view somewhat similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the work locator moved away from the crimping area for crimping butt type connectors;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view partly in section showing the relationship of the tool crimping dies, terminal to be crimped and the work locator;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the work locator moved away from the crimping area and a butt connector illustrated between the crimping dies;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of another embodiment showing the work locator which can be attached to existing tools; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged end view of the work locator shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in the drawings, a hand crimping tool 2 comprises a die jaw member 4 which is an extension of handle 6 and a similarly shaped die jaw member 8 forming an extension of handle 10, the two members being pivotally connected one to another at an area near the die jaw members designated as 12. The die jaw member 4 has ferrule crimping dies 14 and 16 and a terminal insulation crimping die 18. The die jaw 8 has ferrule crimping dies 14A and 16A and insulation crimping die 18A which are adjacent to and complement dies 14, 16 and 18. Connected to the jaw die member 4 is a work locator 20 whichmay prefer-ably be of spring steel and pivotally connected to the jaw member by a rivet 22 or other similar afiixing means.

A wire stripping feature 62 is provided on the tool so that it is possible to strip a portion of insulation from a cable or wire 58 so as to expose the conductor. The wire stripping feature 62 comprises a plurality of diametrically opposed semi-circular recesses in each handle portion.

It is only necessary to place the wire in the appropriate wire size space between the opened handles 6 and 10 of the tool; the handles are then closed and slightly rotated back and forth to completely sever the insulation. The tool is then moved towards the end of the wire so as to remove the severed portion of insulation from the wire.

Between the wire stripper 62 and the pivot area of the tool is located a crimping or compressing die comprising two semi-circular shapes 64, one in each tool handle, which are used in the crimping of terminals or connectors to 7-millimeter ignition type wire or the like.

A bolt cutter as illustrated comprises a shearing member and a bolt holding member provided with threaded openings 66 in which a threaded portion of a bolt (not shown) to be sheared is retained in such a position that the part to be removed projects into the path of the shearing member and is sheared by relative movement between these members when the tool handles are closed.

At the extreme top of the tool is located a wire cutter which comprises a cutting blade 68 on jaw member 8 and a blade anvil 70 on jaw member 4. When it is desired to cut a wire or cable it is only necessary to place the wire between the blade and anvil and completely close the tool handles.

The work locator is retained in the desired position for accomplishing its purpose by use of a detent 24 which is located adjacent the pivot area and mates with a matching complementary indent 26 on the jaw member 4 (see FIG. 3). Also located on the work locator are two arcuately shaped surfaces 28 and 30 (see FIG. 2) which are off-set from the pivot surface by respective flanges 32 and 34. These flanges determine the distance or space that the locator surfaces are to be positioned with respect to the crimping dies.

In the present tool, the larger arcuately shaped surface 28 on the work locator 20 accommodates a terminal of wire range size 10 to 12. The smaller arcuately shaped surface 30 on the work locator 20 accommodates a terminal of wire range size 14-22. It is, thus, noted that the locator can accommodate a wide range of terminal sizes while being of novel construction. The work locator surface 36 which abuts the terminal is properly spaced away from the center of the crimping dies so that during crimping or compressing, the work locator locates the terminal (see FIG. 4), whether insulated or not, at the proper longitudinal position to align the crimping indent centrally on the ferrule, thus, assuring a good electrical and mechanical connection. Without the work locator, it would be readily possible to incorrectly position the terminal within the crimping dies too far or not far enough so that the crimp would be performed at the immediate front of the ferrule or at the back of the ferrule, thus, resulting in an unstable and unreliable connection.

When it is desired to crimp a butt connector 60 (see FIG. or other similar type of connector which will not conveniently fit into the tool, while the locator is in place, it is only necessary to move the work locator 20 which is pivotally affixed at 22 to the tool 2, away from the crimping area. Movement of the work locator is accomplished simply by manually pushing on the locator at an area furthermost away from the pivot point 22.

Another embodiment of the invention comprises a onepiece stamping work locator 38 which is preferably made of spring steel and is somewhat similar to'the locator as previously described but instead of pivotally attaching the locator to the tool, a number of tabs 40 are substantially pre-formed and conveniently spaced one from another so as to wrap around and rigidly grip the tool jaw members 4 and 8 when placed on a tool. Another tab 42 located at the bottom of work locator 38 engages the bottom of jaw member below and to the right of pivot 12 in order to maintain the work locator on the tool. To remove the work locator 38, it is only necessary to manually exert a slight pressure towards the head of the tool. This procedure will unseat the tabs and allow the work locator to be readily removed so that butt connectors or the like can easily be crimped. Holes 46 are provided in the locator so that the bolt cutter feature as previously described found on tools of this type can be used without interference.

Thus, it is seen that the operation of the work locator of the invention is novel, comprising the steps of first stripping a portion of insulation away from the conductor to a length slightly longer than the terminal ferrule. A terminal 48 to be connected to the wire 58 is inserted between the crimping die members for the correct terminal size (see FIG. 4). The tongue or lug 50 of the terminal is readily and easily pushed past the arcuately shaped surface of the locator until the terminal insulation or barrel 52 contacts the inside surface 36 of the arcuately shaped surface. The terminal barrel is now longitudinally centrally aligned between the two crimping dies. The handles 6 and 10 of the tool are slightly closed so as to hold the terminal correctly in position but are not closed enough to deform the barrel. The previously stripped wire is inserted through the ferrule or barrel until about inch of bared conductor can be noted on the lug or tongue end. The total handles 6 and 10 are then completely closed to carry out the crimping operation. The insulation portion 56 of the terminal in back of the ferrule is then placed between the insulation dies and crimped or compressed.

The construction of the terminal work locator as shown and described comprises a portion of spring steel and is either pivotally connected to the tool or is a disengageable piece for use with existing tools.

It is clearly noted that the locator of the invention accordingly locates the terminal, insulated or not, at the proper desired longitudinal position so as to align the crimping dies centrally on the barrel and, thus, assure a good mechanical and electrical connection.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

I claim:

1. A tool comprising: a pair of operating members having cooperative operating areas therealong; a pivot pin pivotally connecting said operating members together; said operating members including overlapping slidably movable surfaces around said pivot pin to provide one operating area and further including jaw members and handle members having meeting edges extending outwardly from said pivot pin in opposite directions to provide plural operating areas along said meeting edges on both sides of said pivot pin; the operating area at said over lapping surfaces defining bolt cutting means including a series of openings of different sizes in each of said movable surfaces, each opening being alignable with a corresponding opening when said movable surfaces are moved to an angular position relative to each other to receive a bolt in selected aligned openings and said movable surfaces being moved to another angular position to out said bolt; another operating area defining wire-stripping means including a series of opposed arcuate recesses in said meeting edges of said handle members with an arcuate recess alignable with a corresponding arcuate recess, said series of arcuate recesses, when said opposing surfaces are in engagement defining sharp round holes of dilferent sizes; a further operating area defining terminal-crimping means including a series of opposed arcuate-shaped die sections of different curvatures in said meeting edges on opposed sides of said pivot pin and along said jaw and handle members with the arcuate-shaped die sections of one member alignable with corresponding arcuate-shaped die sections of the other member; and an additional operating area defining wirecutting means including an anvil section alignable with a cutter section in the meeting edges of said jaw members outwardly from said terminal-crimping means; the operating areas defining said wire-stripping and Wirecutting means being farther from said pivot pin than said further operating area defining said terminal-crimping means; and hand-gripping means on said handle members outwardly from said another opearting area, said handgripping means having a substantially constant rectangular configuration in cross section and rounded corners.

5 JAMES L. JONES, JR. Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

